Sinner says he is 'ready for every challenge', faces tricky Montreal draw

Top seed Jannik Sinner faces a tricky draw at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, the ATP Masters 1000 event he won last year in Toronto. This year the tournament, at which main draw action begins Tuesday, is in Montreal.

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will play Spaniard Pedro Martinez or a qualifier in the first round. But looming in the third round is 15th seed Alejandro Tabilo, the Chilean who lived in Canada. The lefty begins his event against American Frances Tiafoe.

Also in Sinner’s quarter is fifth seed Andrey Rublev. Former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev is in his half of the draw. When Sinner triumphed in Canada one year ago, he was World No. 8 and had not yet won a Masters 1000 title. Despite rocketing to the very top of men’s tennis, the Italian said that not much has changed.

“It’s just a different number. Me and my team, we try to make the process, our daily routine, to make everything in the best possible way and just try to be ready for every challenge that comes up,” Sinner said at the draw ceremony. “I’m very happy to come back here. It started off from last year semis of Wimbledon and then I came here for the first Masters event I won. I’ve been very consistent throughout one year and that’s at least what we will try to do in the next months also.”

This will be the top seed’s second appearance in Montreal. Two years ago, he lost in the third round to eventual champion Pablo Carreno Busta.

“I’m very happy to be back here. I didn’t play very well two years ago so hopefully I can play a little bit better. But let’s see,” Sinner said. “I feel like the court from here and Toronto, they’re very similar in one way, maybe here it’s flying a little bit more. But I’m just happy to be here, the atmosphere is amazing always.”

Also at the draw ceremony was 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov. The seventh seed will play a qualifier in his opening match.

The Bulgarian is 12th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, just 340 points behind Stefanos Tsitsipas, who currently holds the eighth and final qualifying position for the season finale.

The 33-year-old owns a 32-11 record this season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index and he has earned five victories against Top 10 opponents.

“I never shy away from those moments. I love how I’ve been competing throughout the whole year so far and I’ve had some good results, but I don’t want to stop here,” Dimitrov said. “I want to capitalise on every single moment I get out there on the court. It’s been a very special year for me on so many different levels, so I would like to continue that run.”

Second seed Alexander Zverev will face in-form Australian Jordan Thompson or British lefty Jack Draper in the second round.

Third seed Medvedev will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or his doubles partner, Roman Safiullin, in his opening match. Five years ago, Medvedev reached his maiden Masters 1000 final in Montreal.

Home favourite and former World No. 3 Milos Raonic will face a stiff opening test from 13th seed Holger Rune. Both men are possible third-round opponents for Zverev.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 14th seed who made the bronze-medal match at the Paris Olympics, will take on Italian Flavio Cobolli in the first round.